Girdle



M. PERNAS Oct. 22, 1968 GIRDLE Filed Aug. 10, 1966 FlGpl INVENTOR. Z54?e/z44 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,406,692 GIRDLE Manuel Pernas,Bayonne, N.J., assignor to Maidenform, Inc., New York, N.Y., acorporation of New York Filed Aug. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 571,556 3 Claims.(Cl. 128540) In girdle constructions, it is customary where the majorbody of the garment is of stretch material, to employ an insert leadingfrom the waist at the front of the garment downwardly to an area abovethe base or bottom line of the garment. This insert is generallyrestricted against lateral stretch and lies over the abdominal area ofthe wearer. The object of the present invention is to improve on suchgirdle construction by controlling the stretch of the fabric at theopposite sides of such insert, in that the fabric constituting thegirdle body outwardly of the insert is provided with a specially formed,relatively narrow curved inner ply, over which is layed and seamed acorresponding formed innermost ply-all confined to the front of thegirdle, and extending from its waistline to the crotch when theinvention is applied to a panty girdle, as in the embodiment illustratedherein. Thus from the said insert and at each side for a distance withinthe free-stretch body of the garment, the lateral stretch thereof hasprogressive resistance over the abdominal area to a controlled degree.

The invention will be described with reference to the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view looking toward the front of the girdle,arrows showing lines of stretch of the body fabric;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken downwardly on the line 22, FIG. 1and looking toward the inner front face of the garment;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, FIG. 1, looking towardthe inner rear face of the garment;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4, FIG. 2;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55, FIG. 3.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are fragmentary only.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the invention is shownas applied to a panty girdle having a body fabric 1 with free stretchvertically and transversely and formed into two panty legs with a crotchat 2. In this embodiment, the body fabric is provided with a waistbandindicated at 3 and of stretch material, the waist band being shown asnarrow at the front half of the garment and substantially widening atthe rear half of the garment as indicated at 3 Below the waist band atthe rear of the girdle, is shown a two-way stretch insert 4, and thismay be employed if desired.

At the front of the girdle, a V-shaped insert 5 extends from the waistline to the crotch 2, this insert being without lateral stretch, orhighly resistant lateral stretch, and at the same time having verticalstretch.

Directly applied to the inner face of the body fabric are two strips ofmaterial having the same lines of stretch as the body material andseamed to the latter, one at each side of said insert and seamedthereto. The said stretchstrips are indicated in FIG. 2 at 6.

Overlying the strip 6 at each side of insert 5 is a strip "ice 7, whichextends outwardly of strip 6 and substantially covers the same at theinner front face of the garment. The inner edge of strip 6 is seamed toinsert 5, and its outer edge is seamed to the body fabric 1, but asindicated in FIG. 2 by dash lines, strip 6 is preferably not seamed atits outer margin to the wider strip 7. The latter strip, 7, is seamed atits inner edge to insert 5 and at its outer edge to the body fabric.

At the rear of the girdle the seat area is reinforced inwardly thereofby two panels 8 of two-way stretch material, seamed at their outer edgesto the body fabric and cross-stitched to each other, as shown in FIGURE3.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that both of the strips 6 and7 are curved inwardly from top and bottom outer edges to a transverseline somewhat above the crotch, their outer margins then extendinginwardly in a straight line. Thus the resistance controlled thereby isreduced along the center line of the abdomen and thence increases belowsaid line.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the formand arrangement of the elements shown in the embodiment illustrated. Insaid embodiment, the strip 6 rises above the overlying strip 7, the topof the latter strip terminating below the Waist band, so that thecontrol is of lesser degree for a short distance below the waist band,this arrangement being preferred.

Having described my invention, what I desire to protect is as follows:

1. In a girdle, a body fabric, the body fabric being formed with joinedback and front areas having two-way stretch and being provided with awaist band, of a vertical stretch insert at the front of the girdlediverging downwardly from the waist band to the lower portion of saidgirdle, in combination with two inner strips of at least transversestretch, each strip having an inner margin seamed to the body fabric atan outer margin of said insert, one strip overlying the second strip,and one strip extending outwardly of the other strip, both strips beingseamed at their outer margins to the body fabric, said strip whichextends outwardly beyond the other strip having its top edgesubstantially below said other strip, and the top edges of both stripslying in an inwardly and upwardly directed extended angle.

2. A girdle constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which each stripextends downwardly with its outer margin formed in an elongated curveterminating at about the lower end of the insert, said outer marginthence being directed inwardly.

3. A girdle constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the twostrips at each side of the insert lie contiguous the insert and each hasan outer elongated curved edge merging at its top with an inwardly andupwardly directed inclined edge extension, and also merging at its basewith a downwardly and inwardly directed inclined edge extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,825,340 3/1958 Robbins 128--5423,121,428 2/1964 Laguzzi 12854S 3,133,541 5/1964 Lewis et al. 1285403,013,563 12/1961 Goldstein 128542 3,140,718 6/1964 Farkas 128527 ADELEM. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A GIRDLE, A BODY FABRIC, THE BODY FABRIC BEING FORMED WITH JOINEDBACK AND FRONT AREAS HAVING TWO-WAY STRETCH AND BEING PROVIDED WITH AWAIST BAND, OF A VERTICAL STRETCH INSERT AT THE FRONT OF THE GIRDLEDIVERGING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE WAIST BAND TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAIDGIRDLE, IN COMBINATION WITH TWO INNER STRIPS OF AT LEAST TRANSVERSESTRETCH, EACH STRIP HAVING AN INNER MARGIN SEAMED TO THE BODY FABRIC ATAN OUTER MARGIN OF SAID INSERT, ONE STRIP OVERLYING THE SECOND STRIP,AND ONE STRIP EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE OTHER STRIP, BOTH STRIPS BEINGSEAMED AT THEIR OUTER MARGINS TO THE BODY FABRIC, SAID STRIP WHICHEXTENDS OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE OTHER STRIP HAVING ITS TOP EDGESUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID OTHER STRIP, AND THE TOP EDGES OF BOTH STRIPSLYING IN AN INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY DIRECTED EXTENDED ANGLE.